Local pool sharks heading to nationals

Published: Sunday, June 30, 2013 at 7:57 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, June 30, 2013 at 7:57 p.m.

The members of “Rack Attack,” “It Is What It Is” and “1 Time” will pack up their pool cues and head to Las Vegas this summer.

The three local amateur pool teams will compete at the 2013 American Poolplayers Association Open National Team Championships Aug. 15-24 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, according to the local APA franchise: Mid-North Florida APA Pool League.

The teams beat opponents in an eight-county, handicapped playoff series that ended in June, thus securing their slots in the national tournament.

Rack Attack and 1 Time will compete in 8-Ball competition for prizes up to $25,000, and It Is What It Is will play in the 9-Ball series for prizes up to $15,000.

Teams from Palatka, Live Oak and Gainesville will be among 1,100 teams at the event.

Members of the three Ocala teams gathered recently at Bankshot Billiards in northeast Ocala for practice games.

“It’s all about fun with longtime friends,” said Kurt Estes, 29, co-captain of 1 Time along with Ronnie Gaylord Jr., 32.

Estes, who operates A-1 Tire with his father, likes the camaraderie and “mental challenge” of playing pool to relax after work.

“It’s not the stereotype pool hall,” Estes said when asked about the dated image of people being “hustled” in smoky pool parlors made famous in “The Hustler” movies.

Gaylord, of GP Masonry, has made the Vegas trip three times.

“You have to be a player; I grew up with playing pool,” Gaylord said.

Most members of 1 Time have been friends at least five years. Team member Donna Harris, a licensed X-ray technician, met her husband, Allen, while playing pool.

“Pool was a game she could play and be with family friends while I traveled in my work as a welder,” Allen Harris said.

“Pool is a blast. My dad had a club with pool tables and we were in a local league in Chicago for nearly 20 years. My husband, Tim, and I and our daughter, Brittany, are headed to the nationals with Ocala’s Rack Attack,” said Jackie Blomlie, 39, while she held her son Conner, 3.

Steve Sample with Bankshot and a member of the Rack Attack team emphasizes the inside, smoke-free family atmosphere of the facility.

Gwen Sample, 64, Steve Sample’s wife and a CPA, and their son, Palmer, 35, an information technology professional, are members of Rack Attack. So are Wes Mancil, who is involved in glass manufacturing, and Jorge Vargas, 26, a jockey.

“In the final eliminations (for the national trip) we won on the first break of the last game. Our player sunk the 8 ball on the break, which is an automatic win. We went wild and the other team went silent,” Palmer Sample said.

Brittany Blomlie, 18, and Mike Fisher, 18, of Ocala, will also participate in a youth tournament July 23 in Las Vegas sponsored by another organization, the Billiard Education Foundation.

It Is What It Is will play 9-Ball at nationals. It’s a form of billiards where players accumulate points by sinking the balls in sequence. Team member John Lucas, 49, said he finds that “more challenging (than) 8-ball.”

It Is What It Is team members include Keith Carroll, Daniel Davis, Theresa Hudnall, Johnny Lemons, Jessica Gaff, Joe Martinez and Willams Gumbs, according to league information.

Hudnall, 67, and her son, Lemons, are both associated with U.S. Veterans Post 100 in Citra.

“We like the game; it’s challenging, interesting and requires skill,” Hudnall said as she fielded some good-natured kidding from fellow team members about being the team’s go-to player.

<p>The members of “Rack Attack,” “It Is What It Is” and “1 Time” will pack up their pool cues and head to Las Vegas this summer.</p><p>The three local amateur pool teams will compete at the 2013 American Poolplayers Association Open National Team Championships Aug. 15-24 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, according to the local APA franchise: Mid-North Florida APA Pool League.</p><p>The teams beat opponents in an eight-county, handicapped playoff series that ended in June, thus securing their slots in the national tournament.</p><p>Rack Attack and 1 Time will compete in 8-Ball competition for prizes up to $25,000, and It Is What It Is will play in the 9-Ball series for prizes up to $15,000.</p><p>Teams from Palatka, Live Oak and Gainesville will be among 1,100 teams at the event.</p><p>Members of the three Ocala teams gathered recently at Bankshot Billiards in northeast Ocala for practice games.</p><p>“It's all about fun with longtime friends,” said Kurt Estes, 29, co-captain of 1 Time along with Ronnie Gaylord Jr., 32.</p><p>Estes, who operates A-1 Tire with his father, likes the camaraderie and “mental challenge” of playing pool to relax after work.</p><p>“It's not the stereotype pool hall,” Estes said when asked about the dated image of people being “hustled” in smoky pool parlors made famous in “The Hustler” movies.</p><p>Gaylord, of GP Masonry, has made the Vegas trip three times.</p><p>“You have to be a player; I grew up with playing pool,” Gaylord said.</p><p>Most members of 1 Time have been friends at least five years. Team member Donna Harris, a licensed X-ray technician, met her husband, Allen, while playing pool.</p><p>“Pool was a game she could play and be with family friends while I traveled in my work as a welder,” Allen Harris said.</p><p>According to league information, Brian Pritchard, Jim Rogers, Donna Cooper, Bill Muzzy and Chuck Passante round out 1 Time.</p><p>Rack Attack is also prepping for the Vegas trip.</p><p>“Pool is a blast. My dad had a club with pool tables and we were in a local league in Chicago for nearly 20 years. My husband, Tim, and I and our daughter, Brittany, are headed to the nationals with Ocala's Rack Attack,” said Jackie Blomlie, 39, while she held her son Conner, 3.</p><p>Steve Sample with Bankshot and a member of the Rack Attack team emphasizes the inside, smoke-free family atmosphere of the facility.</p><p>Gwen Sample, 64, Steve Sample's wife and a CPA, and their son, Palmer, 35, an information technology professional, are members of Rack Attack. So are Wes Mancil, who is involved in glass manufacturing, and Jorge Vargas, 26, a jockey.</p><p>“In the final eliminations (for the national trip) we won on the first break of the last game. Our player sunk the 8 ball on the break, which is an automatic win. We went wild and the other team went silent,” Palmer Sample said.</p><p>Brittany Blomlie, 18, and Mike Fisher, 18, of Ocala, will also participate in a youth tournament July 23 in Las Vegas sponsored by another organization, the Billiard Education Foundation.</p><p>It Is What It Is will play 9-Ball at nationals. It's a form of billiards where players accumulate points by sinking the balls in sequence. Team member John Lucas, 49, said he finds that “more challenging (than) 8-ball.”</p><p>It Is What It Is team members include Keith Carroll, Daniel Davis, Theresa Hudnall, Johnny Lemons, Jessica Gaff, Joe Martinez and Willams Gumbs, according to league information.</p><p>Hudnall, 67, and her son, Lemons, are both associated with U.S. Veterans Post 100 in Citra.</p><p>“We like the game; it's challenging, interesting and requires skill,” Hudnall said as she fielded some good-natured kidding from fellow team members about being the team's go-to player.</p>